Dancing Leaves
by song-of-wind
Summary: A generation of leaves, now fully grown and ready to shine break from the tree, ready to begin the greatest dance of their lives. Born five years earlier, Naruto finds himself the best friend of one Uchiha Itachi. With adoring parents and a younger sister only weeks away from being born, life is looking good. But a hidden menace lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching...
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"Naruto! Wake up!" Naruto groaned and stumbled out of bed.

"Coming!" he called back. He quickly got dressed and raced through his usual morning routine before dashing down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning!" he grinned as he plopped himself down in his usual seat. Minato was sitting across from him, already dressed and eating breakfast. Kushina plonked a plate piled high with eggs and bacon in front of Naruto and fondly ruffled his hair.

"Here you are, make sure you eat it all up!" she said. Naruto nodded before mumbling a question around a mouthful of food.

"When are we going?" he asked. Kushina scowled and whacked him on the head.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, dattebane!" she scolded. "We'll go once you've finished eating. Do you have everything you need?" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah mom, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I'm not a little kid, dattebayo!"

"You'll always be my little Naru-chan," she grinned, tousling his hair. Naruto grumbled and made a face, but the scowl quickly faded into his usual grin.

"So Naruto, what are you going to do today?" Minato asked, putting aside his newspaper. Naruto washed his breakfast down with a large gulp of milk before answering.

"Itachi said he learnt a new trick he wants to show me," he grinned. "I bet I can learn it faster than he did though. After all, I'm going to take that hat from you one day, dattebayo!" Minato chuckled and smiled warmly at his enthusiastic son.

"I'm sure you will, son, but for now, I'm off to work. Don't worry Naruto, I'll make sure to take good care of the village for you!" he teased as he got up. He gave Naruto a quick hug, kissed Kushina on the cheek, and pulled on his sandals before vanishing out the door.

"Let's go Mom!" Naruto urged, bouncing in his seat.

"Alright, I'm coming," she said, quickly putting away the dishes and drying her hands. She turned to Naruto and took his hand as they left the house, with Naruto bouncing up and down as he alternately regaled her with tales of Itachi's phenomenal abilities and begged for more training. He was so engrossed in his tale that he failed to notice that the two had entered the Uchiha clan compound until Uruchi waved to him and offered him a classical Uchiha senbei. He received it with a brilliant smile and exultant thanks before being gently pulled along by his mother.

"Ah, Kushina, Naruto! I was wondering where you two were!" Uchiha Mikoto said warmly from her porch.

"Mom was walking too slowly," Naruto grumbled. "Otherwise we would have been here ages ago."

"Naruto!" Kushina scolded playfully. "You were the one who slept in and made us late!" Mikoto smiled fondly as the two began arguing. _Like mother like son…._ she couldn't help but think.

"Itachi!" she called. "Naruto's here!" Bare feet thumped for several moments before a young boy with short, curly black hair appeared beside her.

"Itachi's feeding Sasuke," the boy explained before casting a curious eye at Naruto who had paused in his mock argument to examine the newcomer.

"Shisui, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is Shisui. I'm sure the two of you have heard plenty about each other from Itachi," Mikoto smiled. "Shisui, why don't you bring Naruto to see Sasuke? I'm sure he's dying to see what's been keeping Itachi from him for the past few weeks." Shisui nodded before grabbing Naruto's hand and dragging him into the house.

"Now, why don't you come in?" Mikoto asked, gesturing to Kushina. "I've got a pot of tea simmering on the stove and we are long overdue for some heart-to-heart, don't you think?"

* * *

"Isn't he cute?" Shisui asked proudly. Naruto leaned over for a closer look, staring critically at the pudgy-faced bundle in Itachi's arms.

"He's so…."

"Wonderful? Amazing? Absolutely gorgeous?" Shisui filled in amusedly.

"Fat." Shisui shot a double take, revaluating his opinion of the cheerful blonde.

"What?! But he's the most beautiful baby that has ever graced the Uchiha clan!" he declared dramatically. "How could you insult him with such a simplistic, demeaning word?"

"Shisui, would you please keep your theatrics to a minimum?" Itachi asked mildly. "While you may feel exceptionally energetic this morning, please keep in mind that some people are not and would much rather the noise level be tolerable by a normal human's standards."

"Yeah, yeah, Itachi, I know. Jeez, you and your formalities!" Shisui scoffed as he dropped the drama queen act. "Why can't you just act your age for once?"

"You know that Father wishes for us to conduct ourselves with the proper dignity, honour, and decorum expected of our clan," Itachi replied, poker-faced. "It is only you who sees the need to 'act your age' as you say." Shisui rolled his eyes and flopped down on the floor, choosing to ignore Itachi's pointed words and focus on baby Sasuke's waving fists.

"Really, Naruto, sometimes I wonder how you can stand to be friends with this guy," he grumbled.

"Itachi's my best friend," Naruto said simply. "He always has been and always will be." Shisui looked up in surprise at his faithfulness. An evil grin spread across Naruto's face.

"But you're right, he does need to learn how to smile once in awhile….Good thing I know all his tricks!" With that, Naruto dived at Itachi and executed his ultimate attack: tickling. Yes, tickling. Itachi glared at Naruto as he struggled to evade the boy's fingers, but eventually his hard exterior cracked and he descended into a fit of giggles. Shisui stopped and stared. Itachi….the genius, the prodigy, the pride of the Uchiha clan….was _laughing_? He rubbed his eyes hard before looking again. Itachi was now squirming to get out of Naruto's grasp and shaking from suppressed laughter.

"Naruto…." he began, completely serious. The boy looked up in surprise and even Itachi paused in his attempt to escape. "You must teach me that!" Itachi's eyes widened in horror and he quickly wriggled free and grabbed Sasuke, holding him up between the two pranksters.

"Truce." Naruto and Shisui exchanged glances before nodding resignedly.

"Alright, you win this time, Itachi," Naruto scowled. "But watch out! Next time we'll get you for sure, dattebayo!"

* * *

"Well, well, isn't this sweet?" Kushina smirked as she spied the three boys huddled around the cooing Sasuke.

"I'm sure they'll be doing much the same for your girl when she comes out," Mikoto smiled, glancing pointedly at Kushina's protruding stomach. Kushina smiled sheepishly and scratched her head.

"Haha, I guess you're right. They're sure to spoil her rotten, though."

"Perhaps. Have you picked out a name yet?" Mikoto asked as she poured the tea.

"Naruto picked her name, it's Kunami," Kushina smiled. "He mixed up my name with Namikaze and that was what he came up with." Mikoto raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Oh? How clever of him," Mikoto commented. She placed a steaming cup before her best friend before settling down in her chair and gracefully lifting her own cup to her lips. "Now tell me, what does Naruto think of his new sister?"

* * *

"…and Mom and Dad let me pick her name and everything! I can't wait 'til she comes out!" Naruto grinned. Shisui and Itachi were both listening intently; neither of them had sisters or any female cousins younger than them, so they were doubly interested in the upcoming addition to their circle of friends.

"Perhaps she will become as good friends with Sasuke as we are," Itachi smiled softly. Naruto nodded enthusiastically and jumped into one of his long explanations about how awesome of a team they would be in the future and how maybe all five of them would go on a mission together one day and completely destroy the enemy.

"Oh yeah, Itachi, you said you wanted to show me a new trick you learned?" he suddenly asked partway through his narrative.

"Yes, come outside with me and I'll show you," Itachi replied. "We'll drop Sasuke off with Mother on our way out."

* * *

Naruto gasped in awe as Itachi ran up the side of the tree and along the underside of the lowest branch.

"This is one of the basic chakra control exercises," Itachi explained as Shisui sprawled on the ground in boredom, having already mastered the trick himself. "I focus a fixed amount of chakra to the bottom of my feet and use it to stick to the tree and climb it without using my hands."

"That's so cool!" Naruto exclaimed as Itachi detached from the tree and jumped down to join the two boys. "I wish my dad would teach me cool stuff like this," he pouted. Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure he has his reasons," Itachi reasoned. "Considering we will be entering the Academy in a year, perhaps he has simply been trying to enjoy his time with you while he can." Naruto frowned but nodded slowly as he worked his way through the sentence.

"Itachi, could you please stop talking in that serious adult tone? It's starting to tick me off," Shisui scowled. "Naruto, take it from me, most of the kids at the Academy start off knowing nothing, so it's fine if you don't learn anything before that."

"Wait, you're already in the Academy?" Naruto asked, wide-eyed.

"Yep," Shisui smirked. "Started this year."

"But Dad said you have to be at least six years old to enter now since the war's almost over!" Naruto protested.

"Who said I was five?" Shisui scoffed. "I'm a year older than you! Besides, they let geniuses in early, don't they? What about that Hatake kid, what was his name, Kakashi? He started when he was four and graduated a year later!"

"I know about Kakashi," Naruto scowled. "But he's the exception! And times are different now! We don't have a war looming over our heads 'cause we just finished one! It's peace time now!"

"If you two are done with this pointless discussion," Itachi intervened, "our mothers are waiting." The two boys looked up from their stare-down to see three amused faces.

"Mom!" Shisui exclaimed. He winced and quickly amended himself upon seeing the strict look on her face. "Mother, I thought you were coming by later?" he asked in his most formal tone. Satisfied, Uchiha Satsuki nodded imperiously at Mikoto and Kushina before extending a hand to Shisui, who obediently, if somewhat reluctantly, walked over and took it.

"I apologize for coming without prior notice, but Shisui is needed at home. Good evening, Mikoto, Kushina," she said with a quick bow before sweeping away, pulling along a forlorn Shisui in her wake. He discreetly waved to his friends and mouthed an 'I'll see you later' as the pair swept out of sight.

"Do we have to go too?" Naruto asked worriedly, turning to his own mother. She smiled apologetically at him and ruffled his hair.

"Sorry, Naruto, but Minato will be home soon and I still have to make dinner. You two can play again later," she said. Naruto nodded sadly.

"Okay, Mom," he sighed. "I have to go Itachi, so I'll see you later, 'kay?" Itachi nodded.

"Good-bye, Naruto."

* * *

The walk to the Hokage Residence was a long one. They were often stopped by well-meaning villagers or ninja who asked after their health and well-being. After the tenth person who stopped them, Naruto began getting impatient. By the twentieth, he was downright frustrated and mad. As they slipped by yet _another_ villager, Naruto cast a pained look at his mother, who was equally frustrated but much better at hiding it.

"Okay, Naruto, it looks like a jutsu lesson is in order," Kushina said cheerfully as she pulled him into a shadowed alley. "Seeing as your father would probably kill me if I started jumping around rooftops as I am now, we're going to use a very useful jutsu to get us home in time. Watch and learn." With a grin and overly dramatically formed seal, two clones popped into existence.

"That, my boy, was the Shadow Clone Jutsu," Kushina smirked, fully enjoying the wide-eyed look of amazement stamped across her child's face. "Now, this is B-ranked jutsu that evenly splits your chakra across the clones, so it's a jutsu not a lot of people can or want to use. The clones created are solid and can perform attacks, but will usually be dispersed by a solid blow or two. This jutsu also has the added benefit of sharing all of the clone's experiences to the original. Even though it requires a lot of chakra, I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off with ease since you've inherited the Uzumaki chakra reserves. But you have to promise me you won't use this jutsu until you're older." Naruto nodded enthusiastically as he pinky-promised her.

"No problem, Mom!" he grinned happily.

"Alright, clones, take us home!" Kushina cheered as her clones, grumbling and complaining loudly, picked the two up and took to the rooftops. They had only travelled a short distance when several ANBU descended upon them.

"Kushina, you shouldn't be running around in your condition! You could hurt the baby!" the boar-masked ANBU cried. Kushina rolled her eyes.

"If you didn't notice, my shadow clones are doing the running, not me," she pointed out. "I hardly think that any harm will come to my child because of that."

"Even so, you should not be performing jutsu or any other strenuous activities in your condition," the ANBU replied. As Kushina scowled, Naruto giggled quietly. Clearly the ANBU didn't remember it was the Bloody Habanero they were talking to. They would never know what hit them….

* * *

Other than the unfortunate incident with the ANBU, their trip went without a hitch. Once they arrived at the Hokage Residence, Kushina dispelled the clones and made a beeline for the kitchen, leaving Naruto to his own devices.

"How long until Dad gets back?" Naruto asked, pausing at the foot of the stairs.

"He should be back in an hour or so," Kushina called from the kitchen. "Dinner should be ready by then too. Expect plenty of ramen!"

"Awesome!" Naruto called back from the top of the stairs. He ambled along the hallway towards his room and paused when he saw the study door ajar. He glanced at the stairs and hesitated a moment before steeling himself and entering the study. Quietly, Naruto tip-toed over to the bookshelf and pulled out a random book titled _Advanced Sealing: a Study on the Uzumaki Style_.

"Heh heh, now I can show Itachi how awesome I am next time I see him!" he grinned. Naruto sat down and flipped to the first page and began reading. As he read, he found himself confused and completely bewildered, yet satisfyingly so. Whenever he encountered a word he didn't know (which was more often than he liked), he simply consulted one of the few dictionaries lying on his dad's desk or skipped it and continued.

Despite his slow progress, Naruto continued reading stubbornly, carefully studying the ideas and diagrams that danced on each page. As he advanced through the chapter, he slowly began grasping some of the simpler concepts. The theories behind the methods were surprisingly similar to the ones behind his pranks. Sure, the seals were massively more complicated and efficient, but the main idea was pretty much the same. He was so engrossed in his reading, he didn't register the creak of the door or the soft thud of footsteps until it was too late.

"Now, what do you think you're doing?"

Naruto slowly looked up to find himself facing the dreaded, forbidding face of one Namikaze Minato, otherwise known as the Yondaime Hokage, the Yellow Flash, and worst of all, his father. He gulped nervously and fidgeted uncomfortably as he struggled to come up with an answer that would hopefully get him scot-free. Minato leaned over and picked up the book that had fallen from Naruto's hands and frowned as he realized exactly what it was he was holding in his hands.

"Naruto, explain yourself," he said, a steely glint in his eye. All thoughts of escape vanished from Naruto's mind as he hung his head and quietly began speaking.

"Itachi showed me a new trick today and I wanted to learn something cool too, so when we got home and I saw your door open, I decided to come in and see if I could learn some jutsu," he said meekly. Minato's frown deepened.

"Naruto, look at me." Hesitantly, Naruto looked up, expecting to see anger and disappointment in his father's face. He was half-right. "Naruto, do you know why your mother and I haven't taught you any jutsu yet?"

"Because you want to protect me?" Naruto mumbled half-heartedly.

"That's right. Learning jutsu when you don't know how to use your chakra properly can get you hurt or even kill you if you're not careful. What's more, you're still young, and we don't want you to get caught up in the world of ninja until you're ready."

"But I'm ready!" Naruto protested angrily. "I'm starting the Academy in less than a year and besides, _you_ can teach me how to use my chakra properly so I won't get hurt!" Minato sighed and sat down beside his rebellious son.

"Teaching you how to use your chakra properly is the job of the sensei at the Academy," Minato explained patiently. "Think about it this way. Remember how we told you that we would let you pick Kunami's name? What if we picked another name of our own and gave it to her without letting you having any say in it? How would you feel?"

"I'd be really mad!" Naruto frowned. "And I probably wouldn't talk to you for a week." Minato nearly laughed at that particular remark but quickly forced it down. It would rather take away from the seriousness of his lecture if he spontaneously laughed partway through. He did, however, let his stern look smooth into a gentle smile.

"That's exactly how the sensei would feel if we taught you everything you need to know before bringing you to the Academy," Minato replied. Naruto's frown faded into a look of comprehension, which quickly turned into understanding and remorse.

"I understand, Dad," he said softly. "And….I'm sorry." Minato smiled and wrapped his arms around Naruto, bringing his son into a warm embrace.

"I forgive you." After letting the hug last several moments, Minato gently disengaged himself and helped Naruto to his feet.

"Now why don't you take a shower and wash up before dinner?" he suggested. Naruto nodded and meekly padded out of the study. Minato sat down in his chair with a sigh before examining the book in his hands. As he mused on the problem, a sudden idea struck him. _What if…._

Minato promptly jumped from his seat and dashed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Kushina cast him a quizzical look as he drew her away from the stove and pulled out a chair for her to sit in.

"What's up?" she asked, blunt as usual.

"I found Naruto in the study reading _this_," he said, holding up the book for her inspection. She scanned the cover and her eyes widened in shock. "I think his obsession with learning how to use his chakra and learning jutsu has escalated in a bad way," he continued. "We need to do something before he blows something up or gets himself permanently injured." Kushina winced as she recalled the evening's events.

"Oh…," she scowled, slapping herself on the forehead. "I think I may have caused this by accident," she confessed. "We were coming back from Mikoto's place and the villagers were stopping to talk with us like they usually do and Naruto was getting impatient. Well, I was kind of mad too, so I may have not thought my actions through…."

"And?" Minato prompted.

"I showed him the Shadow Clone Jutsu and explained it to him and promised him I would let him learn it when he was older. After that, I used them to carry us home via the rooftops." Minato sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Kushina…." he began wearily.

"I know, I know already, dattebane!" she interrupted, barely suppressing an eye-roll. "I need to think things through more carefully and not be so reckless. But that aside, what are we going to do about Naruto? Knowing him, it wouldn't do anything to lock and seal the doors; he would only be even more determined to get in, and he'd probably figure out how to break the seals while breaking in, and you can imagine how bad things would get from there."

"Well, I've been thinking, Naruto _is _only a year away from starting at the Academy, and if he's desperate enough to sneak into the study and try to learn something on his own, the best thing we could do is to actually start his education."

"You want to let him learn ninjutsu now?!" Kushina exclaimed in shock. Minato quickly shushed her with a worried glance to the ceiling and she lowered her voice. "I thought you were the one who wanted him to wait until he was in the Academy!" she hissed.

"But if it makes him steal and break into the advanced ninjutsu, that hardly matters, does it?" he remarked dryly. "What I suggest is that we let him start learning the basics for sealing; after all, he seems moderately interested in the subject and it would take him at the very least several months to grasp the basics of copying seals, much less activating them himself. What do you say?"

Kushina thought over the suggestion for several moments, tapping her chin and muttering under her breath. "How do you even know he's interested in the subject?" she questioned. "What if it just happened to be the first book he picked?"

"He was interested enough to not hear me enter the room without hiding my presence," Minato shrugged. "But if it really bothers you we can ask him what he thought before making our decision."

"That would be good," Kushina agreed. "I just want to be absolutely sure he'll be happy with learning it. I know it can be boring for some people and I'd rather not risk him trying to steal again because of boredom."

"Well, he is an Uzumaki," Minato grinned. "Sealing is in his blood. But I'll ask him during dinner and we can break it to him right after if he agrees."

"Sounds good," Kushina said distractedly. "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes, so you have a little time to clean up and get changed." Nodding in agreement, Minato got up to return the book to his study, pick up a book on sealing basics and change into some casual clothes. On his way down, he was joined by a sodden but cheerful Naruto. Together, they entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, where steaming bowls filled with ramen were placed before them.

"Itadakimasu!" the three chorused before digging in. Minato ate slowly, watching in amusement as mother and son devoured their ramen at an astounding pace. Although Naruto physically resembled him more than Kushina, his personality was nearly identical to hers.

"So, Naruto," Minato began casually between bites. "What did you think of the book?" Naruto gulped down his mouthful of noodles before glancing at him warily.

"It was interesting," he said at last. "Even though it was really complicated and I didn't get most of the words, it was really cool and I even understood some of the ideas! A lot of the stuff was a lot like the stuff I do for pranks." Minato exchanged a glance with his wife and she gave a slight nod of confirmation.

"Naruto, your mother and I discussed your trip to my study, and we've come to a decision," Minato said. He took a deep breath and plunged straight in. "We've decided to let you start learning sealing." Naruto's jaw dropped open and for a few moments, he sat completely still in shock.

"You….what?" he spluttered. Minato smiled warmly.

"That's right, we've decided to let you start learning sealing," he repeated, thoroughly enjoying the look of complete shock and joy on his son's face.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping out of his seat and hugging both of his parents. "I promise I won't let you down!"

"Hold on a moment, Naruto," Minato chuckled. Naruto obediently jumped back in his chair and closed his mouth, eagerly listening for his next words.

"While we have decided to let you start learning sealing, that doesn't mean you'll learn how to use seals just yet." Naruto's face fell and he cocked his head in confusion. "Sealing is an extremely complex art that requires a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge and skill," Minato explained. "The first basics you will need to master are calligraphy and knowledge of all the signs and symbols used in sealing. Once you have mastered those, you need to learn how to fit the signs together, and the various rules involving seal construction, deconstruction, activation, and deactivation. When you have reached this stage, we will teach you how to use your chakra, and only after you have mastered all of this will you be able to properly use and even create your own seals. Understand?"

"Yes!" Naruto enthused energetically.

"You're not bothered about having to study all of that before you can use seals?" Kushina observed.

Beaming, Naruto shook his head. "Nope! Like you always say, the more and harder you have to work at something, the better the results will be, right?"

"Not quite, but close enough," Kushina grinned, ruffling his hair. "Now remember, if you have any questions, don't just ask Dad, you can ask me too! I'm even better at sealing than he is, dattebane!"

"Kushina!" Minato scolded, but to no avail. He sighed at his wife's antics and turned back to Naruto. "Here, this is a book on the basics of sealing. You can start practicing your calligraphy tomorrow, but for tonight you can start by reading this book." As Naruto accepted the book, his eyes grew wide with happiness.

"Thanks, Dad," he said softly as he hugged Minato tightly. "Thanks, Mom," he added as he moved to his mother.

"But don't think you're off the hook for sneaking into my study!" Minato warned, a mischievous gleam entering his eyes. "Your punishment will be decided tomorrow, but for now, it's off to bed for you!" Naruto pouted but grudgingly obeyed. He paused at the foot of the stairs, casting a last glance to his parents.

"Thanks for letting me study sealing," he said quietly. "Good night Mom, Dad. I love you."

"We love you too. Good night!"


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Minato left the Hokage Residence for the third training ground. While he did have a private training ground reserved for the Hokage, Minato was feeling nostalgic and decided to visit Obito before beginning his exercises. Luckily the training ground was deserted when he arrived, so he had the freedom to train without worrying about prying eyes.

"Obito…." he murmured, gently tracing his student's name. "If you were still here, I'm sure you would be proud of Naruto. He takes after you a lot, you know," he smiled fondly. "He's even befriended some of your clan mates, and I'm sure that when he grows up, he'll become an excellent ninja."

"Come to visit Obito, Minato-sensei?" a voice asked. "I thought you would be in the office by now." Minato smiled as he turned to greet his remaining student.

"I have the day off to train and relax, so I thought I'd come and see Obito while I'm at it. What about you, Kakashi? Giving your daily report to Obito?" Minato asked in amusement.

"Of course." Minato stepped back from the memorial stone to give Kakashi some privacy and began going through some stretches. Once stretched and limber, he ran through his usual morning regimen, which included plenty of physical conditioning in addition to his usual practice katas. He was finishing up with a chakra meditation exercise when he sensed Kakashi draw near him.

"Were you hoping to catch me off guard?" he joked as he looked up.

"Nope, just wondering if you'd like a spar," Kakashi smirked. "I've improved a lot since the last time we fought and I want to see how well I can do now."

"Well let me warn you, Kakashi, I haven't fought a good battle in a long time so I'm going to go all out," Minato said seriously. "Come at me with everything you've got."

"I wasn't planning on you holding back, Minato-sensei," Kakashi replied as he pushed up his forehead protector to reveal a spinning sharingan. "I've been waiting for this battle for a very long time."

* * *

Naruto woke to the smell of delicious ramen. He jumped to his feet, ready to dash downstairs and chow down on some serious ramen when he remembered he still had to face his punishment. He bit his lip, torn between the lure of ramen and the lure of temporary escape. Escape sounded a lot better at the moment and besides, Ichiraku had delicious ramen he could eat too. He quickly got dressed as quietly as he could and grabbed a handful of cash and his new book before sliding open his bedroom window.

After one quick glance around his room to make sure he wasn't missing anything, he jumped out of the window to freedom and Ichiraku ramen….until glowing chains wrapped around him and dragged him back to earth.

"Now where do you think you're going?" Naruto turned around and gulped nervously. A ticked off Kushina stood behind him, tapping a wooden spoon against her hand menacingly as she stared him down.

"Um….training?" he asked hopefully. The spoon smacked down on his head and he winced in pain.

"Wrong! You're coming back inside to have breakfast, and then you'll be getting your punishment from Minato!" Kushina scowled, dragging Naruto inside as she muttered angrily underneath her breath. She forced Naruto into a chair and slammed a bowl of ramen in front of him which he happily began devouring.

"Hey mom, I thought you weren't supposed to use ninjutsu anymore," Naruto commented through a mouthful of noodles. "Or cook ramen all the time." Kushina flushed red as she quickly checked the house for Minato. No sign of his chakra, so she should be safe.

"Just….just eat your ramen, dattebane!" she quickly said. Naruto smirked and quickly finished the rest of his ramen, gulping down the soup with a sigh of contentment. Vengeance was so sweet….

"Oh yes, Minato left you a note," Kushina said as Naruto got up from his seat. "It's over there on the wall." He handed her his empty bowl and chopsticks before going over to inspect the note.

_Naruto: I'll be waiting for you at the Third Training Ground. Wear some clothes you can run in and make sure you bring your book. Tell your mom we'll be at Ichiraku's for lunch. Hope you had a good night's sleep. Love, Dad._

Naruto grinned and tossed the note out before returning back to the kitchen table to grab his book. "I'm going out, Mom!" he called as he left the house. "We're having lunch at Ichiraku's!"

"Okay!" she called back. "Be careful!"

"I will!" he promised even as he dashed out of the building and into the streets. _Now, which way would be the fastest to the Third Training Ground?_ he wondered absently.

* * *

"Dead," Minato said as he held a kunai to Kakashi's throat.

"Not quite," said a voice from behind him. Minato tensed as the steel blade of a kunai kissed his own throat. He glanced back to see a pokerfaced Kakashi holding the kunai. The Kakashi _he_ was threatening disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Good use of shadow clones," Minato acknowledged. "However…." He vanished with a flash and reappeared behind the original. "It's still not good enough to beat me."

Kakashi smirked and stabbed himself with the kunai. Minato had barely enough time to register that his only living student had just committed suicide when Kakashi began glowing with an eerily familiar light. Minato's eyes widened in shock as he realized exactly what was about to happen. _Shoot…._ Just as the clone detonated in a burst of electricity, Minato flashed away to a kunai several metres away.

"That was one heck of an attack," he winced as he examined the burn marks on the ground. "Hmm…. A shadow clone infused with lightning chakra, eh? Clever, but it must take a lot out of you," Minato surmised as he turned to see an exhausted Kakashi surface from the ground via a handy doton jutsu.

"As you guessed," Kakashi replied weakly. "It was a good trial run though. At least I got to see the effects of my jutsu firsthand."

Minato narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You decided to test your jutsu for the first time on your _sensei_?"

Kakashi shrugged casually. "Well, you _are_ the only one fast enough to evade it, and I wanted to see it in action."

Minato sighed and rapped his knuckles sharply on Kakashi's head, eliciting an 'ow!' of shock and a resentful look. "Restraint, Kakashi! I thought you already learned that particular lesson." Minato paused as he scrutinized his young student, an idea occurring to him.

"Are you planning on doing anything today?" he asked abruptly.

"Hm? No….just training," Kakashi answered. "Why?"

"In that case, I'm sure you wouldn't mind helping me out for the day," Minato beamed before assuming his Hokage face. "Hatake Kakashi, your mission is to obtain a brush, an ink set, a notebook, a pencil, and a sealing scroll and deliver them to me here. This is a D-ranked mission. Do not fail." Kakashi suppressed an eye-roll and mock saluted before dashing away.

After a quick look to the sun to gauge the time, Minato held his palm up and focused as a whirling ball of condensed chakra formed in his palm. Once the ball stabilized, he brought his other palm forward and focused his chakra into the countless razor blades that characterized fuuton chakra. Beads of sweat slid down his face as he struggled to combine the unruly chakras. With a sudden bang, the chakras collided and reversed, exploding violently in his face.

Minato lay back on the ground, panting from the effort as he examined the extent of the damage. His left hand was covered with tiny nicks while his right seemed to have escaped the majority of the damage.

"Naruto, you can come out now," he called as he wrapped a bandage around his hand. A sheepish Naruto walked out from behind the tree he was hiding in.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he gently took Minato's hand. Minato stifled a chuckle at the serious look on his son's face and ruffled his hair.

"I'll be fine, but now you see why it's too dangerous for you to learn jutsu on your own while you're still young," Minato explained, capitalizing on the situation. Naruto nodded solemnly.

"I understand. What were you trying to do, anyways?"

"Hm? Well, the rasengan is still an incomplete jutsu. As you know, I spent three years developing it until it became what it is now. My plan for the rasengan was to take the shape transformation of chakra to the highest possible point and combine it with my wind chakra, but as you can see, I've been having some trouble adding my wind chakra into the mix. If I still haven't figured it out by the time you master the rasengan, maybe you can help me out," Minato smiled.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered. "And if you do finish it before me, then I'll make a new version of it that will be even awesomer than yours!"

Minato chuckled amusedly. "I'm sure you will, son. But first, you'll have to learn to observe the rules, which brings me to your punishment." Naruto's face fell for a moment, but after a deep breath, he squared himself up to take it bravely.

"Uzumaki Naruto, for sneaking into my office and attempting to learn jutsu without permission, you are to run five laps around the training ground and perform ten push-ups and fifteen sit-ups. Begin!" With a grim nod of understanding, Naruto dropped to the ground to begin his punishment.

"Remember," Minato said as Naruto raced through a set of push ups, "if you want to control your chakra better, you need to build up both your mental and physical energies." Naruto paused in his exercise, momentarily puzzled before he realized what his father was saying. An immense grin spread across his face.

"Yes, sir!" he cried before returning to his workout with renewed passion.

* * *

Kakashi was surprised, to say the least, when an orange-clad Naruto crashed into him the moment he set foot into the Third Training Ground and after a rushed apology, dashed out of sight. Shaking his head in bewilderment, Kakashi located his sensei with a sniff and headed towards him.

"Here you go, Minato-sensei," Kakashi said as he handed over the shopping bag. "Everything as ordered."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I would have gone to get the supplies myself, but as you can see, I have to oversee Naruto," Minato commented. Kakashi nodded and stuck his hands in his pockets nonchalantly.

"What did he do this time?" he asked curiously.

"He sneaked into my study and started reading one of my more advanced sealing books," Minato explained. "He's far too eager to learn jutsu for his own good, so Kushina and I have decided to start him on some sealing basics, which should occupy him until he enters the Academy. And if he masters enough basics before then, then he's more than ready to learn how to use chakra."

"If he's inherited any skills at all from either of you, you'll be teaching him chakra before the current year even finishes," Kakashi chuckled. "I assume the physical conditioning is doubling as his punishment and a start to his physical training?"

"Correct. By the way, seeing as you're free for the day and will be eventually leading a jounin team of your own, why don't you help me start Naruto off on the basics? After all, you've learned enough from me to be able to at least introduce him to the subject."

"Alright," he relented. "But you owe me!"

"Kakashi!" Naruto yelled as he came in from his last lap and tackled the teen. "Guess what? Dad's gonna teach me sealing!"

_What incredible stamina…._ Kakashi thought in amazement, seeing the five-year old had just finished a fairly strenuous workout and still had the energy to tackle him.

"Actually, Naruto, Kakashi here will be my teaching assistant today," Minato chuckled. "So if you would let him up, we can begin." Naruto flushed and got off, scratching his head sheepishly as he muttered an apology to Kakashi. Kakashi waved it off casually and sat up, smoothing down his rumpled hair as he did so. He gestured for the two to join him on the ground as he mentally ran over everything he knew about seals and how he was going to go about introducing the complex subject to Naruto.

"First of all, fuinjutsu, or sealing as it is more commonly known, is a type of jutsu that has the ability to seal almost anything into another object. It can also be used to unseal objects from within something or someone. Activating and deactivating them requires certain conditions to be met, with the simplest being a small amount of the user's chakra. Writing them, on the other hand, is very complicated and difficult, as a single mistake can cause the seal to blow up in your face. Are you following so far?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah….I think so," he answered slowly. Kakashi gave him a dubious look before continuing with his explanation.

"Look," he said, opening the scroll. "You see this circle here? To activate this seal, all I have to do is channel a little chakra and the object will appear. See?" he explained as he summoned a fuma shuriken.

"What's the scribble around the circle?" Naruto asked, leaning in to get a closer look.

"That's the formula for the seal. Basically, it's the blueprint for the seal. As to how to write seals, you'll have to ask your father, I'm about as lost as you are in that aspect," he explained with a meaningful look towards his teacher.

"Yes, and that's exactly what we'll be starting on, now that Kakashi has kindly explained the basics," Minato smiled. He pulled out the sheets of paper and ink set Kakashi had purchased and picked up the brush. He bent over the paper and was pleased to note that Naruto was eagerly looking over his shoulder.

"Now, this is how you write in seal script…."

* * *

Naruto yawned as squinted down at the figures that danced across the page. He wasn't used to waking up before lunchtime, but if it helped him become an amazing ninja, he was willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep. He slapped himself and forced himself to focus. He picked up his brush again and continued copying down the list of symbols used in seal writing. Ever since his dad had explained the basics of seal writing and importance of it, he had spent every spare moment holed up in his room, striving to commit every symbol to his memory and be able to copy them perfectly.

"Naruto!" his mom called. "Itachi's here to see you!"

"Okay!" Naruto called back. "Tell him to come up!"

"Naruto?" Itachi asked as he entered. His eyes landed on the pile of books and papers on Naruto's desk. "What are you studying?"

"My dad's teaching me fuinjutsu!" Naruto beamed. "I have to finish reading through these books and learn how to write the symbols properly and everything!"

"I see. So that's why you haven't been around lately." Itachi flipped open the nearest textbook and skimmed it. "It looks rather complex. How far have you gotten?" Naruto chuckled sheepishly.

"Not too far, I've just started memorizing the first few symbols and ideas, but just you watch, I'll have mastered it in three weeks, and then I'll start making my own seals!" he grinned. Itachi nodded as he continued to look through the book, sitting down on the floor as he did so.

"Chakra transferral seals….basis for more advanced seals such as transcription seals…..sounds interesting….." he muttered as he stopped partway through the book and began reading the explanation.

"So why're you here?" Naruto asked. "I thought you weren't gonna come here anymore 'cause your clan didn't like it."

"Mother and Father are going on a short trip, and since you're going to be alone tonight, they suggested Sasuke and I come over and stay with you for the night and then spend the rest of the time at Shisui's," Itachi explained.

"Oh yeah, Mom said they're going to be out tonight 'cause Kunami's coming out," Naruto nodded sagely. He quickly copied down a few more signs before packing away his ink set. "Okay, finished! Now we can go and play!" Itachi nodded and set aside the book before following Naruto as he raced downstairs.

"Hold it, boys!" Kushina cried as they dashed past the kitchen. "You're not going anywhere until you get a decent lunch inside you!" Sheepishly the two boys entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Kushina was already sitting in one of the chairs, bottle-feeding a gurgling Sasuke.

"I'm back!" Minato called as he entered the house carrying two takeout bags. "I finished tidying up and handed the seat over to the Third earlier than I expected, so I picked up some lunch on the way home."

"Yay, Dad's back!" Naruto cheered, bouncing in his seat. "Now you can play with us after lunch!" Minato shot a quick glance towards his wife, who rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Go on, you big baby," she chuckled. "Don't worry about me, I'll just take a nap on the couch after I'm done with Sasuke. If anything happens I can easily call you."

"All right," Minato agreed. "I can spare a few hours. But first, I want to see you finish eating lunch, and that means the vegetables too, Naruto." Naruto pouted but nodded in agreement as Minato set the food before them.

"Ah, Itachi, I haven't seen you around here in awhile," Minato smiled. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Hokage-sama," Itachi said politely. "Thank you for allowing Sasuke and I to stay here tonight."

"Now, now, Itachi, we've had this conversation before," Minato said playfully. "You can drop all the Hokage business when you're in my house. Just Minato-san or Uncle Minato is fine."

"Very well, Minato-san," Itachi agreed, if somewhat reluctantly.

"Okay Dad, I'm done!" Naruto mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Let's go!" Minato chuckled and ruffled his son's hair.

"If Itachi is finished, then we can go," he said with a glance towards Itachi, who nodded an affirmative and got up.

"Hey Dad, let's play Hide-and-Go-Seek!" Naruto cheered as the three tossed out the take-out boxes and went to the backyard.

"Alright, but you're it!" Minato teased. Naruto pouted by obliged, covering his eyes and slowly counting down from thirty. Itachi and Minato exchanged glances before vanishing into the brush that filled the grounds behind the Hokage Mansion.

"Five….four….three….two….one….Ready or not, here I come!" Naruto yelled as he uncovered his eyes. His eyes darted left and right before he dived into the nearest bush, barreling heedlessly through the scratchy undergrowth in his eagerness.

* * *

Panting, Naruto and Itachi scrambled through the bushes, pursued by a laughing Minato. As they neared a fork in the path, they exchanged looks before nodding and splitting up, with Itachi darting down the right path and Naruto taking the left.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" a voice called from behind and the two boys groaned; their plan was botched. Sighing, the two surrendered as two smug Minatos caught up with them and picked the boys up.

"It's not fair!" Naruto protested, pouting. "You used ninjutsu, and that's not allowed!"

"You never said I couldn't use ninjutsu," Minato chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair.

"Even so, the odds of us winning the game were practically nonexistent," Itachi pointed out. "Considering we're not even in the Academy yet and Minato-san is the Hokage, the chances of us even surprising him are practically zero."

"Pfft, who cares about that?" Naruto scoffed. "We could totally take Dad on, if we worked hard enough! All you need is guts!" he proclaimed. Minato smiled broadly at their antics; despite being nearly polar opposites, they were the best of friends. Ah, the joys of childhood.

"Well, you're both right," he said before the argument could escalate. "While it is true that determination to see something through to the end is important, it is equally important that we calculate the likelihood of success and work with this in mind. So if you two work together, I'm sure you'll both become splendid shinobi." Placated, Naruto grinned widely up at his father, basking in the praise. Itachi smiled softly; he wasn't used to lavish compliments as his father was rather demanding and had high expectations of him, so being praised by the Hokage was something he didn't take lightly.

"Hey Dad, let's play Protect the Hokage now!" Naruto suggested. Minato frowned, glancing up at the darkening sky.

"Sorry, Naruto, but it's getting late and we need to head back. Maybe next time, okay?" he smiled gently. Naruto sighed but nodded glumly. Itachi placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Come on Naruto, let's race back while it's still light," he smiled. Naruto brightened up and with shouts and yells, the two boys raced back to the house, each doing their best to outrun the other. Smiling fondly, Minato strolled at a sedate pace behind them, thoughts dwelling on another child of his for whom they had anticipated for ten long months….

* * *

Minato watched absently as Naruto and Itachi bent over the table, both staring intensely at the various shogi pieces scattered across the board. Even with one eye on the food he was cooking and the other on the boys, his mind was somewhere else, worrying over the upcoming birth. The doorbell rang loudly, startling him from his thoughts.

"Naruto, Itachi, could you two get the door?" he asked, hastily scraping the vegetables onto a dish while he added seasoning to the pan of frying meat. The two boys got up from their game and scuttled off to answer the door, returning with a smiling Sarutobi Hiruzen and his wife Biwako.

"Hokage-sama, Biwako-sama," Minato greeted with a short bow. Although he now held the title of Hokage and could address the two on equal terms, old habits died hard and he still found it much easier to simply refer to him as he always had.

"Minato," Hiruzen returned with a smile. "I see you've got your hands full here. We'll go to the living room and wait for you there."

"Oh no, that's fine," Minato said hurriedly. "The meal's already prepared; I was just touching up the meat as you got here. Sit down, please, and dinner will be served in a minute. Itachi, could you set the table? And Naruto, go and tell your mother it's time to eat." Naruto nodded and dashed off while Itachi quickly brought out the bowls and utensils.

"Thank you, Itachi," the Third smiled kindly. "Incidentally, I'm surprised to see you here. Are you having a play day with Naruto-kun?" Itachi flushed slightly, embarrassed by the amount of attention the Third was giving him.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Usually Naruto comes over to my place, but my parents are out today, so they dropped me off here instead."

"I see," the Hokage nodded sagely. Before he could say any more, however, Naruto entered the kitchen with Sasuke in his arms, with Kushina a few steps behind him.

"Oh, who is this?" the Third asked as he spied the sleeping Sasuke in Naruto's arms.

"This is Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother," Kushina said as Naruto gently rocked the boy. "Mikoto and Fugaku are away for a couple of days, and Naruto is going to be alone tonight, so we thought it best if the two brothers came over."

"Ah, I see…." the Third nodded. "Sasuke, hm? Just like my father…." he ruminated nostalgically.

"Indeed," Kushina smiled. "Itachi, would you like to feed Sasuke or would you rather I do it?"

"I can do it," Itachi said quietly. Kushina nodded and moved to prepare the bottle while Naruto transferred Sasuke into Itachi's arms. Sasuke stirred and blinked at the bright light. Before he could start crying, Itachi gently rocked him back and forth, lulling the child into a languid mood.

The meal passed by quickly, with the adults talking in quiet tones while the children fussed over Sasuke. At last, Minato rose and cleared the dishes, cleaning and drying them with practiced ease. Naruto and Itachi took Sasuke off to his crib before heading up to Naruto's room to finish their game of shogi, leaving the four adults sat down to discuss the details of Kushina's birth.

"I'll be there for the birth….We have to take care of the seal and everything," Minato smiled reassuringly. "I'll get everything prepared beforehand."

"This is what we did for your predecessor Mito-sama as well. The seal nearly failed when she gave birth," the Third rumbled. "I'm afraid we'll need to prepare for the worst….We'll set a place up outside the village and erect a barrier to protect it. Only Minato, my wife Biwako, and Taji from the ANBU will be inside. This must be kept top-secret. Of course there will be reinforcements outside, ANBU under my direct command."

"I'll tell you where the place is, so get your things ready!" Biwako said.

"Yes….Thank you both," Kushina bowed respectfully.

* * *

"Naruto?" Kushina said gently as she knocked on Naruto's door. The two boys looked up from their game to see Naruto's parents standing in the doorway.

"Mom? Dad?" Naruto asked in surprise. "What's up?"

"We're heading out soon and we just wanted to drop in to say good-bye," Kushina explained as she knelt down to give Naruto a warm hug. He squeezed her back before giving one to Minato too.

"I love you Mom, Dad," he said softly.

"We love you too," they murmured back.

"I…." he hesitated. "Stay safe."

"We will," Kushina promised. "You stay safe too, Naruto. Listen to Itachi, and look after Sasuke, okay?"

"Okay. Bye Mom, bye Dad," he said, returning to Itachi as a feeling of unease settled on him. When Itachi gave him a strange look, he shook it off and focused on their game.

"Check."

* * *

"Say, Itachi?"

"Hn?" Itachi grunted as he shuffled the deck of cards.

"What do you think Kunami will look like?" Naruto asked curiously. Itachi thought about it as he dealt the reshuffled deck.

"Well," he said slowly. "Blue eyes are a definite, unless your grandparents have some recessive gene…. Other than that, I would say the odds of her resembling either of your parents are pretty even." Itachi picked up his pile of cards and shuffled through them. He paused, contemplating one with a mischievous look in his eye.

"Wouldn't it be funny if she turns out the exact opposite of you?" he smirked. Naruto shot him a confused look, so Itachi elaborated. "You inherited your dad's hair and eye colour, but your mom's face and personality, right? Well what if Kunami gets your mom's hair and eyes and your dad's face and personality?"

"That would be horrible!" Naruto gasped, dropping his cards. Itachi forced his eyes to look away from the exposed cards in attempt to play the game fairly.

"Why is that?"

"I'm already surrounded by geniuses 24/7; I don't need another one, especially not one younger than me!" Naruto pouted. "There's you, the child prodigy of the Uchiha clan, Kakashi, the prodigy who set the current record for graduating the Academy, and my dad, who's the Hokage and is referred to as the kind of prodigy you only see once every decade."

"Well, prodigy or not, she'll be five years younger than you, so you'll have the advantage of experience," Itachi pointed out. "Besides, as her older brother, she'll respect you and love you even if your decisions aren't the best." Naruto sighed and acceded to his friend's logic.

"I guess you're right," he said grudgingly as his picked up his cards. He ran a bored eye over the cards and tossed a random one onto the floor. "Your tur-ahh!" Naruto screamed as searing pain lanced through his entire body, emanating from his stomach. He dropped to the floor, writhing as the pain assaulted his senses. His vision wove in and out, before blanking into darkness, which was abruptly replaced by blinding light.

Images flashed before him: a masked and hooded man with a sharingan blazing in his right eye, several stone pillars marked with sealing formulae, and a full moon shining through the inky darkness of the night sky. Then nothing but darkness.

"….ruto! Naruto! Wake up!" Slowly Naruto struggled through the pain-induced blackness to find himself blinking up into Itachi's worried face. His body still tingled from the pain, but even that was quickly fading, probably because of the healing factor provided by his Uzumaki blood.

"Itachi?" Naruto mumbled hazily. Relief flooded across his friend's face, but the worry remained in his eyes.

"What's wrong Naruto?" he asked urgently. "What happened?"

"Chakra resonance…." Naruto muttered. "Whenever Mom uses the kyuubi's chakra, my chakra responds and burns….but it's never been this bad before…." Suddenly he shot up, eyes bright and aware. "The kyuubi! Something must have happened!" He jumped to his feet and raced downstairs, scattering the remnants of their game as he did so. Itachi followed, his mind racing through all the possibilities Naruto's revelation posed.

"What are you going to do?" Itachi panted as he chased after Naruto. "We can't go and help; we'd only be a hindrance. The only viable option is to contact the Hokage, and doubtlessly he already knows." He caught up just as Naruto ripped aside the calendar in the kitchen, revealing a small spiral inscribed into the wall.

"The emergency transporter?" Itachi asked in surprise. Naruto bit his thumb and swiped the blood across the spiral, which glowed before accepting his offering and expanding into the seal formula that would transport Naruto to their family safe house upon touch.

"I need to know. My family….my precious people….they're in danger. This way, I'll know what happens as soon as possible. Itachi….stay safe." After one last glance towards the solemn Uchiha, Naruto pressed his hand to the swirling seal and vanished with a flash.


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto stumbled to the ground as he appeared in the safe house. Disoriented, he sat still, blinking as he took stock of his surroundings. While he was used to travelling with his dad through the hiraishin, it was quite another thing to physically travel through a seal by himself.

"Kunami?" he said in surprise as he spotted the slumbering child on a bed nearby. He bent closer to examine his younger sister, his fascination momentarily eclipsing the urgent need that had summoned him there. He gently touched her hair and marvelled at the softness of the bright red tufts. A gentle thud behind him sent him spinning around, instinctively bracing to protect his newborn sister.

"M-mom! Dad!" he stuttered in shock. His parents looked up in surprise, but before he could say anymore, his dad moved past him and gently placed his mom on the bed beside Kunami.

"….why?" Kushina asked wearily. Naruto was shocked by the exhaustion in her voice and realized that she looked completely drained, with deep bags underneath her eyes and sweat beading her pale face.

"Never mind why, just stay here with Naruto and Kunami," Minato said gently. Tears ran down her cheeks as she embraced Kunami, whispering the child's name through cracked lips. Naruto stood quietly, shaken by the seriousness in his parents and the tears in his mother's eyes. His mom _never_ cried. At loss for what to do, he stood still, questions forgotten. A rustle of cloth brought his eyes away from his weeping mother and to his father who was pulling on his cloak.

"Minato….thank you….good luck…." Kushina murmured.

"Dad…." Naruto began before trailing off, unable to voice the words that stuck in his throat.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," he said calmly before vanishing in a flash without a trace. Naruto closed his mouth, swallowing the unspoken words. He turned towards his mother and steeled himself. It was time to take responsibility and help his parents instead of constantly depending on them for everything.

"Here Mom, get under this," Naruto instructed as he laid a blanket over her and handed her a black pill he had scrounged up from the medical kit. "Have a soldier pill; I know the after-effects are bad, but you need the energy." Obediently Kushina swallowed the pill and relaxed as the blanket draped her form. She smiled faintly up at him.

"Thank you, Naruto. But….how did you get here? And how did you know the seal failed?"

"I was playing cards with Itachi when I felt the resonance with the kyuubi chakra. I figured that something was wrong so I used the emergency teleportation seal you set up to come here so I could help," he explained. "What happened?" Kushina sighed wearily and patted a spot on the bed on the other side of Kunami, indicating for Naruto to sit down. He did so and listened carefully as she began explaining the whole fiasco.

"It all started after I gave birth to Kunami and we were just about to patch up the seal…."

* * *

Minato appeared on the stone spike of his engraved visage. He often came here to look over the village and remind himself of the true nature of the village. But today, a gigantic nine-tailed fox was wreaking destruction in his beloved village and he had little time for sightseeing. The fox snapped its head towards Minato and began charging its ultimate attack: the tailed beast bomb.

"Not on my watch!" Minato said as he ran through a series of hand seals at top speed. He snagged a kunai and held it up, just in time for his barrier to activate and swallow the blast of chakra. He focused intently for a moment, connecting with the various tags he was in contact with. Moments later, the blast lit up the sky, hundreds of kilometers away.

_I have to tell the Third what happened…._ Minato frowned before snapping around and slicing a kunai straight through the attacker's head. The kunai passed harmlessly through the stranger and moments later, the man grabbed his arm.

"_You_ will face _me_. And….we're done," he said, sucking Minato into a vortex. Instantly Minato activated his jutsu and teleported away.

_My attack slipped right through him, but a moment later he was solid and trying to….suck me into some dimension or something. What was that move?_ he wondered as he rose to his feet. The stranger materialized in front of him and Minato tensed.

"You won't escape me." Minato watched the man while he quickly analyzed and reviewed all he knew about the stranger.

_Does he use space-time techniques too? Whatever he did, it must be how he moved so far after taking Kushina! He defeated ANBU under the direct command of the Third, got past the most powerful top-secret barrier we have, and must have known the seal would be weak while Kushina was giving birth….Then with the seal undone he took the kyuubi and marched straight into the Leaf without so much as pausing to deal with the barrier….There's only one man I can think of that makes sense…._

"Are you Uchiha Madara?" The stranger slid down his hood, revealing a head of spiky black hair. "No….you couldn't be. He's long dead…."

"Oh….I don't know about _that_…." the stranger said cheerfully.

"….On second thought, it doesn't matter who you are. But why have you attacked the Leaf?" Minato asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, you know….it's fun, it's part of my plan….to start a war….to bring peace," the man said casually as he pulled out a length of chain.

_Whoever he is, he's incredible! He can control the kyuubi_, _wields space-time techniques that exceed both the second's and my own, and clearly has evil intentions. If I don't kill him now he'll become a foe greater than the fox!_

_If I teleport back to the village he'll just follow me and things will get even more chaotic. If he really is Madara, then I doubt he can summon the kyuubi for very long. I'll just have to leave the village in the Third's hands and finish him off right here!_ Minato concluded as he drew a kunai. The man charged, chains whipping through the air with an eerie shriek.

"There's no hope for any of you!" the stranger growled as he phased through Minato and wrapped him with his chains. Minato easily escaped via hiraishin and frowned as he contemplated his situation.

_He makes his body intangible to negate my attacks, then solidifies to counterattack. My only shot is to try and trade hits with him! But attacking at all is a big risk for him. If he can only keep the kyuubi summoned for a short time, he won't want this fight to drag on. It all comes down to speed, whoever strikes a split-second earlier will win!_ His analysis complete, Minato got to his feet and charged, sending his kunai straight through the man's forehead as he ran. The man reached for Minato's shoulder even as Minato formed a rasengan in his right hand. The kunai left the man's head just as his hand touched Minato's shoulder.

"Gotch-" Minato vanished and reappeared above the man, smashing the rasengan into the man's back and snagging the kunai out of the air as he did so.

"That was hiraishin – level two." The man quickly retreated, clutching his left arm. Minato flashed forward, stabbing his kunai into the man's abdomen. With his free hand he slammed the man's chest with a sealless jutsu. The man's eye widened in recognition and he jerked backwards.

"A contract seal?! Are you trying to pull the kyuubi free from my control?!" he snarled.

"No, I already did! He's no longer your weapon!" Minato replied.

"You deserve the title of fourth Hokage….managing to wound me and wrest the fox from my control in one move. But someday it will be mine again. The fox, and this whole world, will bow to my will. Many doors are still left open to me," the man said as he vanished from sight.

Minato frowned. _Something tells me he wasn't lying…. _Pushing the masked man from his mind for the moment, he turned his thoughts to the village and with another flare of his chakra, reappeared on the top of the Hokage Monument. His eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. _This is awful…._

"Summoning jutsu!" he growled as he leaped into the air above the kyuubi. Gamabunta slammed down on the fox, pinning it down. Minato hesitated as he considered his next decision. He flashed back to the masked man's final proclamation and bit his lip. _Sorry, Kushina…._ he said silently as he made his decision.

"Hold the fox down for a minute!" he instructed.

"Look, I may be big, but I'm not a miracle worker!" Gamabunta grumbled.

"I need enough chakra to take him and that blast out of here!" Minato replied as he prepared the jutsu. Moments later, they vanished and a bright explosion appeared on the horizon.

* * *

"D-dad?" Naruto stammered in surprise.

"Gotta put up a barrier…." Minato panted.

"My chakra's almost drained…." Kushina mumbled as chakra chains shot out of her body and wrapped around the fox.

"Kushina!" Minato cried as she coughed, blood spilling from her mouth. From Naruto's arms, Kunami stirred and howled with the throaty cries of a healthy baby.

"Sorry Kunami….I didn't….mean to wake you….." she gasped as Kunami cried.

"Kushina…."

"I'll drag the kyuubi….back….and die with it inside me….That'll prevent it from coming back….for a while…. It's the only way to save all of you….with the little bit of chakra I have left." Naruto stilled as he realized what she was saying and his eyes brimmed with tears. Minato's hands clenched unconsciously and his face contorted with a mixture of emotions.

"….Kushina….you….you made me your husband…._You_ made me into the fourth Hokage…._you_ made me our children's father! And I…."

"Don't look so sad….Minato….Naruto. I'm….I'm happy. Happy that you loved me. Happy for the years we've spent together. Happy that it's….Kunami's….birthday. Like….if I try to imagine surviving and the four of us….living together….I can't think of anything….beyond 'I'd be so happy'. If I had any regrets….it would be that I won't see Naruto and Kunami grow up." Minato's eyes brimmed with tears and he looked down at their two children. Naruto clutched her tightly, wrapping his arms around her as he sobbed into her shirt. Kushina gently embraced him, tears of her own flowing down her face.

"….Kushina….you don't need to take the fox down with you. We can use our last bit of chakra to see Naruto and Kunami one more time!" Minato said.

"….huh?"

Minato wiped his eyes and looked up. "I'll seal the last of your chakra in Kunami with an eight trigrams seal. Then I'll seal the kyuubi away with a seal only a non-jinchuriki like me can use, the dead demon seal!"

"….! But that….the user will be-"

"But I'll only be able to seal half of the fox's power….it's just too great, it's physically and conceptually impossible to completely seal it all. I can't let the kyuubi be revived without a jinchuriki, the balance of tailed beasts will be destroyed. But with the dead demon seal I can permanently seal half the fox's power along with myself. And the remaining half….I'll seal the remaining half inside Kunami with the eight trigrams seal!

"I know what you want to say….but Jiraiya-sensei spoke of the world undergoing a revolution, and with it, a great disaster! Tonight I've confirmed two things. The first is that masked man, the one who attacked you….He is the harbinger of that disaster! And Kunami will be the one to stop him, with Naruto by her side. The jinchuriki who will blaze the trail to our future. I just….know it."

"But….Minato," Kushina protested.

"Have a little faith! She is our daughter after all!" Minato smiled. "After I finish the dead demon seal I'll place your remaining chakra into Kunami as well. You'll meet the grown-up Kunami sooner than you think….The time will come when she'll attempt to take control of the fox's power….I want you there to help her."

"Our _daughter_…."

"That's why! I don't want her to bear such a heavy burden on her own!"

"But why….why the dead demon seal?! There's no reason for you to die….just so I can meet her for a few minutes when she's older! I wanted you to be there for them….I wanted you to raise them! Why….Why are you sacrificing _Kunami_ just to preserve the balance of tailed beasts….to save the village….and the country….Why are you sacrificing yourself for me?!" Kushina protested angrily before subsiding into deep gasps.

"Turning your back on the country, on the village, is just as bad as abandoning a child. You should understand….you saw your own country fall apart. You know the pain of growing up without a home of your own….and you know that we are a family….of shinobi! Besides, even if I lived I could never substitute for you. There are things Kunami needs to be told, things I could never say myself. That's the mother's job, and I need you to carry it out. Even if you only have the briefest of moments to do so. This isn't just for you….this is for Kunami! Dying to make a better life for his children….that's the stuff you let the father handle."

"Dad….I will take the kyuubi." Minato and Kushina jerked, having temporarily forgotten Naruto's presence in their heated debate. "I…. I was born under the kyuubi's influence," he said, touching the whisker markings on his cheek, "and my body is used to its chakra. Let me take the kyuubi!"

"Naruto, you know what being a jinchuriki is like! You….you don't have to do this!" Kushina cried. He turned to her, his eyes bright and determined.

"Jinchuriki…." he said slowly. "_Sacrifice_...those who bear tailed beasts within them, they are sacrificed to protect the people around them, their friends, their family, and their village….. But I….I choose to sacrifice myself to protect my sister. This is _my_ role….my choice….and my love for her." Kushina looked away, tears falling from her eyes. He touched her hand and smiled at her as she turned to meet his eyes. "Believe in me... I am your son after all. I can, and _will_ bear this burden." Minato smiled at the determination and love shining from his son's eyes.

"And dad….there's no need for you to die either," Naruto said, turning to his father. "The kyuubi's chakra….you can split it between us. With its power split between us, we'll be able to control it easily, and with two of us, we are sure to stop that masked jerk in his tracks!" Minato hesitated before nodding his head in agreement.

"Alright. I'm going to seal the kyuubi's yang chakra into Kunami first, and then the yin into you, Naruto." He ran through a few hand seals before slamming his palm against the ground, summoning the ceremonial throne.

"Okay….Naruto, bring Kunami here…." Minato grunted. Naruto picked Kunami up and kneeling beside the throne, gently laid her on the cushioned surface. Suddenly Kushina broke into a violent coughing fit, hacking and choking as blood spurted from her mouth.

"Kushina, stay with me!" Minato cried, turning towards her.

"Dad! The kyuubi….!" Naruto yelled as he spied the fox striking down at them. He wrapped himself around Kunami and turned away as the claw slashed down at him. The deafening silence was broken by the steady dripping of blood. Naruto slowly turned around to see his parents standing before him, impaled on the kyuubi's claw.

"No….Mom….Dad…." he whispered brokenly.

"If the father can do this job…." Minato began.

"The mother should be even better….right?" Kushina finished with a smile. "You win….First argument….you've ever won….I guess you're really serious."

"Thank you, Kushina…." Shakily, Minato swiped his palm with blood and summoned a toad.

"Ahh, the kyuubi! And fourth, what in the world happened to you?!" the toad cried.

"Gamatora….I'm entrusting you with the key to the seals. Hurry to Jiraiya-sensei….store it with him…." Minato instructed.

"Got it! Good….goodbye!" the toad said, vanishing with a poof.

"That does it…." Minato said. "It's time, Kushina….I'm going to perform the eight trigrams seal on the two of them….and try to leave a little of my own chakra in them, too! We don't have much time….if you have anything left to say to Naruto and Kunami…."

"….Naruto, Kunami….don't be fussy eaters…..eat a lot and grow up to be a big boy and girl! Take your bath every day….got to bed early and sleep well! Make friends….it doesn't matter how many….just make sure they're real friends….people you can trust…..even a few is enough! And study your ninjutsu….I was never very good at it, maybe you will be….Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not….don't feel bad if you can't do it all.

"Make sure you listen to the teachers….at the Academy. And remember, avoid the three vices of shinobi….don't borrow money if you can help it. Save what you earn from missions….no drinking alcohol until you're twenty, and don't overdo it or you'll ruin your body. As for men and women….well, I'm a woman so I don't know what to say, but there are only men and women in this world, and you'll want a girlfriend and boyfriend someday….just try not to pick weird ones….try to find someone like your mother and father…."

"And the fourth warning….watch out for Jiraiya-sensei!" Minato grinned.

"….Naruto….Kunami….you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering….remember who you are! Find a goal….a dream….and don't stop trying until it comes true! Look after each other and stick together….Remember Mito-sama's words….'before the beast can be housed….we must fill the vessel with love. Do that, and even the host of the kyuubi may live a happy life'. Love and care for each other….your strength comes from your love for others….There's….there's….! There's….there's so much more I want to say….to teach you about….I want to stay with you….I love you….

"I'm sorry Minato….I took all our time…."

"It's okay. Naruto, Kunami….listen….to your motor-mouth mother."

"I promise….I'll remember everything you said….and tell them to Kunami when she grows up. I'll look after her….don't worry about us…." Naruto said through his tears. Minato smiled and began weaving the hand seals for the chakra separation and sealing he would need to perform.

"Naruto….Kunami….we love you," he whispered. "Eight trigrams seal!"

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes to the cold white ceiling of a hospital room. He blinked in confusion as he slowly sat up. What was he doing in the hospital?

"Naruto?" a hoarse voice asked. Naruto turned to see a bedraggled, red-eyed Kakashi standing in the door. Instantly, the teen rushed forward and embraced him tightly, tears flowing down his face.

"I was so worried," he choked. "If I lost you too…." Naruto sat frozen, confused. His eyes widened his memories returned in a rush.

"Mom….Dad…." he whispered as he clutched Kakashi. The two brothers clung to each other, exhausting their grief and sorrow as they drew comfort from each others' presence.

"K-kakashi, do you….do you know where Kunami is?" Naruto asked at last, stammering the words between heaving gasps. Kakashi nodded numbly and stood, helping Naruto up as he did so.

"Follow me," he said quietly. Moments later, they entered the private section of the maternity ward. The ANBU guarding the door gave the two a searching look before stepping aside to let them enter the room. A nurse stood inside at the foot of the bed, writing on her clipboard. She looked up as the two entered and gave a stiff nod to Kakashi while pointedly turning her back to Naruto.

"Can I hold her?" Naruto asked quietly. The nurse ignored him, staring determinedly at her clipboard. Kakashi frowned and tapped her back.

"Answer the question," he said sharply. She glared at him, but grudgingly nodded. As Naruto stepped forward, she jerked away from him and hastily left the room, all the while shooting them cold glares.

"Hey Kunami, it's me," Naruto said softly as he cradled the sleeping baby in his arms. "I'm Naruto, your big brother." His voice broke on the last few words and tears poured down his face. Kakashi quickly grabbed him and helped him into a chair.

"Her hair….it's just like mom's…." Naruto choked out, struggling to explain himself. Kakashi wrapped his arms around the weeping boy.

"I know," he soothed. "I know." Tears gathered in his eyes. "I miss them too."

* * *

Naruto stood silently before his parents' graves, dry-eyed and brimming with emotion.

"Mom….Dad…. I'm back. I'm sorry I haven't been by in awhile. It's just….these past months, it's been…." he trailed off as he recalled his first few days as an orphan and jinchuriki of the kyuubi.

* * *

"…_.we are gathered here today to remember the ones who were lost in the attack of the Kyuubi two days ago," the Third said gravely. Silence filled the place as the assembled silently paid their respects. Naruto stood alone, weeping silently as memories of his parents flashed before his eyes. He wiped his eyes and listened as the Third finished his speech and stepped back to allow the shinobi to step forward and present their flowers to the deceased. Naruto gripped his own flower tightly and stepped forward to join the line. Three men blocked his path, glaring at him coldly._

"_Get out of here, demon," the leader spat. "First you killed our hero and now you come to spit on his grave?!" With a growl, he tore the flower from Naruto's hands and viciously crushed it with his foot. With a cry, Naruto sprang forward in attempt to salvage his flower, but the man's buddies blocked his way and shoved him to the ground. _

"_Wh-what are you doing?" Naruto stammered as the men surrounded him, cracking their knuckles. The leader smirked._

"_Protecting the village." _

* * *

_Naruto ran crying through the streets, fleeing from the hateful stares of the villagers that drilled holes in his heart. He ran until his legs collapsed beneath him and he slumped to the muddy ground, exhausted. The impassive rain pounded steadily against him, washing away the blood that poured from the wounds on his body._

* * *

Why….why do they hate me so much? Can they really….can they really not see that I'm still me? Why….why?! _With those last fading thoughts, Naruto's eyes slid shut and he slipped into the blissful embrace of darkness._

* * *

"….it's been hard," he said at last. "Those first few weeks, they were the hardest. The loneliness and hatred were overwhelming, and I nearly gave up. But….Kakashi and Itachi, they reminded me of this precious life you gave up your lives for. They reminded me of my goal, and the reason that I live.

"I've been staying at Itachi's place for the past several months, and learning how to take care of Kunami and myself, but recently, I overheard something troubling. There have been a lot of rumours that the Uchiha only took me in because they want to control the kyuubi. I also heard that the clan compound might be moved to the outskirts of the village, but if they do, it'll take a while for them to get the clearance for it. I know what I need to do, but it's hard….it's so hard to leave the only family I have left." Naruto exhaled slowly and closed his eyes to force back the tears that threatened to spill out.

"I've learned a lot from these past few months. The villagers….they've given me a lot of trouble, but even so….I will protect this village you've entrusted to me with all of my strength. My dream…. My dream is to become Hokage, one that surpasses all the ones before me. I will treasure this life that you've given me and use it to protect this village that we love so dearly. And I always keep my promises, so believe in me, dattebayo!" With a fierce smile and salute, Naruto left the cemetery with a renewed resolve and a lightened heart. A few gravestones away, he paused and glanced back.

"The next time I come to visit….I will be one step closer to that dream. Just wait for me…."


End file.
